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y 1931- R. L. STANLEY 1,806,720

LAST

Filed July 18, 1928 Patented May 26, 1931 PATENT OFFICE ROBERT L. STANLEY, OF RICHMOND, MAINE LAST Application. filed July 18,

My present invention relates to lasts, and more particularly to an improvement in divided lasts such as are in common use today. Many attempts have been made to improve on the design and operation of divided lasts to the end that. the shoe may be readily removed from the last with ease and speed without injury to the shoe. and particularly the lining in the shoe adjacent the heel thereof. A last of this type must not only be easy to operate and sufficiently rigid when in place but, in order to be of practical value to the industry, it must be simple in cons-itruction so that it will stand up under severe treatment as well as inexpensive to manufacture. With the above advan tages disadvantages, and requirements in mind. I have invented a last in which I have combined the principle of the divided last above mentioned with a sliding member attached to the heel portion thereof. and although I am well aware that the broad idea of a slide member in a last is not broadly new. yet I believe that the particular manner of using a sliding member as well as its disposition in combination with a last heel portion is new.

The principal object of my invention therefore, is an improved divided last;

Another object, is a divided last in which the heel portion may be so constructed that it will pull from the heel of the shoe when the last is collapsed prior to the removal of the shoe therefrom;

A still further object is to provide a divided last with a slideable heel member so arranged and designed that it will operate automatically and without any more manipulation on the part of the operator than would be required with the common type of divided last, and will at the same time prevent damage to the heel of the shoe. the shoe proper, or the lining adjacent the heel portion thereof;

Other objects and novel features of con- 1928. Serial No. 293,666.

struction and operation of the device constituting my invention will appear as the description of the parts comprising same progresses.

In the accompanying drawings comprising a part of this specification:

Fig. 1 illustrates a side elevation of a divided last in combination with a slidable heel member attached thereto;

Fig. 2 is also a side elevation of the same last. but showing the last in a collapsed position;

Fig. 3 is top plan view of the slide sur face of heel member on which the male hinge member of the last is formed and, 6

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross section taken on the line 4, 4, of Fig. 1 showing the slide and slide way assembled.

Referring to the drawings 10 indicates the forepart of a divided last being hinged to the heel member 11 by means of a hinge member 12 held thereto by a pin 18 and held in a contracted or expanded position by any suitable toggle arrangement internally disposed within said members. The heel member 11 is provided with transversely mounted top member 14 attached to the heel member 11 through the medium of a slide 14 anchored to top member 14 by means of screws 15 and adapted to slide in a transverse direction on a slide-way 16 wh ch is composed of flat metallic plate recessed at 17 for the purpose thereof and more fully shown in Fig. 3. It will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 3 that the recessed plate 16 is provided with an open end 18 for the purpose of admitting the slide 15. And material forming the member 11 beneath the recess 17 is in itself recessed to allow free movement of the slide 15 therein. Screws 19 are provided to attach the plate 16 securely to the heel member 11.

When the complete last is in use with a shoe over it, it is in the position indicated in Fig. 1, in which the heel member 11 and the top member 14 blend together to form an outline of one complete heel, but when the last is collapsed as shown in Fig. 2 the top member 14 slides on heel member 11 in an upwardly transverse direction due to pressure exerted on heel end thereof by heel of a shoe and produces a foreshortening effect of the overall length of the top of the last due to the combined action of pivoting of member 11 about the pin 13 comprising a part of the hinge 12, and the transverse sliding action of the top member 14 on heel member 11.

It will be readily seen that the operator goes through identically the same movement in removing a shoe from this improved last that he would go through in removing a shoe from a divided last without this improvement because the slide member moves automatically when pressure is exerted by the operator on the forepart 10 of the last: together with an upward and forward movement of the shoe thereon. The net result is that the shoe comes away from the last in the same manner as before but much easier and without damage of any kind to the shoe due to binding at the heel. In placing another shoe on the last the reversal takes piace with the exception that the forepart 10 of the last contacts with the top piece 14 at a point indicated at 20 and as the heel member ll swings about the pin 13 in the hinge in a upward direction, top piece 14 is forced back into a closed position firmly seating itself in the heel of the shoe ready for another operation. It will therefore be seen that the operation of this slide member 14 on the heel member 11 is automatic in operation throughout which is not the case with other heel pieces which are slidably operated.

It will be understood that I may vary the size, shape and angle of this heel piece considerably without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, is

1. In combination with a divided last, a combined shank and toe piece, a back heel piece obliquely and transversely slidable on a central member hinged to said shank and toe piece.

2. In combination with a divided last, a combined shank and toe piece, a duplex heel piece pivotally mounted thereon and further provided with an obliquely slidable sole member.

3. The combination in a last of a combined shank and toe piece, a heel piece pivoted thereto and provided with an obliquely slidable sole piece.

4. In the heel member of a divided last, an obliquely slidable member attached thereto by means of a slide and slide-way and. adapted to be slid in an upward and oblique 

